Norma's Needleworkz

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Some Earlier Stitcheries

Since I have just joined Yahoo's hand embroidery list I thought it was time to share some of my stitcheries on my blog as I would like to post at least one of these in an album in that list.


This is the FIRST quilt I ever made and I copied it from "Woman's Day Book of American Needlework" written by Rose Wilder Lane and published in 1963. For those of you who have followed the tv series "Little House on the Prairie" Rose Wilder is the daughter of Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder. This book of needlework is a comprehensive history from Colonial times to the 1960's and is one of my favorites. The top picture shows the center of the quilt. There are several techniques involved here with the very center being an appliqued sunflower. Each petal of the sunflower is quilted then the center is grid quilted with Herringbone Stitch over the quilting. For two rows - they can't be rows as they're are going around the center (tee hee) oval quilting that is over-lapped, one round of feather quilting, another round of oval quilting that is not over-lapped, with the remainder of the quilting done in the traditional diagonal grid. AFTER all the quilting was done I did Herringbone Stitch embroidery over all the circular quilting. I did enter this in one of our local quilt guild shows (a SHOW not a competition). It is currently residing on my bed.


Here is a piece I'm particularly pleased with. It is a true embroidery piece entitled "Two Sisters". The background fabric is silk (the first time I'd used silk in this way or any way for that matter). The stitching is all done in DMC floss using anywhere from one strand to eight strands and using basic stitches: Outline, Stem, Running, Satin, Buttonhole. Split Chain and French Knots. It was completed in 1998 and for now hangs on my bedroom wall.


This piece is Jacobean in design and was meant to be done in needlepoint. Marching to a different drum I chose to use Danish Flower Thread on Floba fabric which has a self inner border. I backed this with a deep hunter green satin and am using wood bell pull hardware. I did this piece in 1999 and it hangs on my bedroom door.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Blog Tag

So now its playing games is it? Well, its been a couple of years since I've played tag and being fairly new to blogging I will try and stumble through. Of course I had to ask for help from one of my favorite bloggers as we had both been tagged by
  • Sandie
  • So I had to go searching for some bloggers that may not have been tagged yet. For instance
  • Mary on Norfolk Island
  • always has something of interest going on.
    Another of my new friends
  • Maureen C.
  • has three blogs to check on.
    Then there is
  • Iris Susan
  • in Ohio.
    I expect this next one
  • Catherine of the garden
  • has already been tagged but I have to do it anyway.
    Another of my favorites, and I hesitate to list her as she is recovering from the flu and may not feel like playing tag, but here goes anyway
  • Bear
  • do you feel like taking time for a little fun?
    So now comes the second part of the game. I have to reveal five weird things about myself tee hee this is so funny. I asked my DH and he said "everything about you is weird" so I guess thats number one. Now for number two, this goes back to DH again as he says I can't carry a tune in a bucket, but I sing soprano in the church choir (at one time directed the youth choir) and one of my seatmates (has a beautiful voice but can't read music) is always telling the director "I'm following Norma". I'm one of those people that when you say something is impossible I'm going to make it possible...... for instance I was told that once you close the ring in tatting it is impossible to open it up again ha ha it takes a little time but it can be done. I don't like backing out of my driveway because the bushes on one side reach out and grab me - in other words, I can't back straight out of my driveway and its worse if there is snow on the ground and I have been known to fall asleep while knitting and wake up without having missed any stitches.
    This isn't lining up like I would like it to but then I'm not used to putting in codes by myself. I may change this around later but for now thanks
  • ktj
  • for your help and as promised I didn't tag you again although you are one of my favorite blogs.